Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

The Sisters of St. Joseph began in 1650 in Le Puy, France, under the influence of a Jesuit priest, Jean Pierre Medaille. Six women felt that God was gathering them to bring together their spirituality, personal depth and strength and their compassion to serve the needy people who surrounded them. Service to the "dear neighbor" led these early Sisters to break with the historical tradition of cloistered life. The Sisters aided travelers, widows, orphans and the sick. Later, their ministries would include education, the care of orphans and healthcare.

In 1836, Bishop Joseph Rosati asked the Sisters of St. Joseph to come to America to found a school for the deaf in St. Louis. In response, Mother St. John Fontbonne sent six Sisters to the diocese of St. Louis from Lyon, France.

Once in St. Louis, these Sisters opened two houses: one for orphans and the deaf in Carondelet, Mo., and a school across the Mississippi River in Cahokia, Ill. Nineteenth century international communication between America and France was difficult and eventually led the congregation to become independent of its French roots. In 1860, Carondelet became the cradle of the congregation, thus known as "The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet."

In 1981, nearly 150 years after the Sisters left France, the congregation brought 13 healthcare institutions together as one shared organization — creating the Health Care Corporation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Five years later, the corporation was restructured into its current form. In 1992, the organization adopted the name Carondelet Health System. In 2002, the system became part of Ascension Health.

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